If there’s one surefire method to know when a model is feeling comfy in Australia, it’s once they flip their consideration to homegrown particular editions meant to attraction to our love of efficiency, whether or not that’s on or off the street.
Suppose Nissan with its Warrior by Premcar program. Or VW and its Amarok work with Walkinshaw, or Kia and Hyundai’s dedication to native journey and dealing with applications.
And now it’s MG’s flip. Now safely, and really all of the sudden, ensconced inside the gross sales high 10, it has despatched its MG 4 XPower sizzling hatch off to bear some localisation remedy, scoring new wheels and comes, a brand new physique equipment and spoilers, and a usually harder, extra menacing look.
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Our automotive was additionally fitted with the vainness plate ‘NOTGAS’, however the much less stated about that the higher.
MG describes the upgrades as a toe into localisation waters. The NOTGAS, for need of a greater identify, isn’t a manufacturing mannequin, and you may’t purchase one. However it’s thought of a proof of idea, designed to gauge curiosity and demand for domestically improved fashions from the Chinese language model. And it might be the start of a broader tuning program.
“Perceptions are tough issues to alter. In Australia, we have now all the time wished to do native tuning to enhance our MG vary, nonetheless, beforehand, there wasn’t the appropriate product,” says MG’s Head of EV and Equipment, Matt Kavanagh.
“We’re actually in search of market suggestions on this one from media, sellers and prospects of what might be for our model’s native tuning program.”
“I hope that is the beginning of huge issues to return with MG and tuning in Australia – it’s step one actually, the remainder is as much as the market.”
PRICE AND FEATURES
How a lot is that this go-fast (or go-faster) MG4 XPower? Priceless.
That’s to say you’ll be able to’t really purchase one. Nevertheless it’s based mostly on the MG4 XPower, which is yours for $59,990 drive-away. We reckon the enhancements made would add about $5k to that sticker worth, and you may possibility most of them up in your common MG4 already.
Just like the common Xpower, you’re nonetheless utilizing a dual-motor powertrain that delivers 300kW/600Nm, and which guarantees to clip 100km/h in lower than 4 seconds.
A reminder right here that, just a few years in the past, that was supercar-level efficiency. Now it’s yours for $60k on the street. Unimaginable.
Underneath the new-looking bodywork is a 64kWh lithium-ion battery that guarantees 400km in WLTP vary. When it comes time to cost, the XPower will take 140kW DC charging. Not nice, however not horrible.
Like the remainder of the MG4 vary, the inside remedy is a bit underwhelming, with hard-feeling plastics used with abandon, and the automotive’s key functionalist (local weather controls, for instance) all hidden behind a ten.25″ nice-looking, however fiddly to make use of, digital touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
It appears to be like good, although, with a minimalist and blacked-out model that matches the temper of this domestically developed hero mannequin.
New, although, are the Konig Ampliform alloys, completed in a bronze-gold color paying homage to the earliest Subaru WRXs. It’s been fitted with a lowered spring equipment, dropping by 30mm, and now wears a menacing physique equipment, together with entrance lip, facet skirts and rear spoiler.
DRIVING
It should be stated, slipping behind the wheel of the MG4 XPower isn’t for the faint of coronary heart. This factor is correctly quick – shockingly so – because it slilent-screams to 100km/h in its claimed 3.8 seconds.
Once more, that’s supercar-levels of efficiency, delivered through a comparatively low-cost, city-friendly EV. It’s bonkers what electrification has carried out to the world of efficiency, and it’s little surprise the businesses whose complete enterprise mannequin relies round V8, V10 and V12 engines are wanting over their shoulders.
Fortunately, this special-edition MG4 XPower advantages from the identical technical wizardry designed to harness all that energy as its stock-standard sibling, together with a firmer journey, sharper steering, an e-diff with torque vectoring and greater brakes – the latter being particularly necessary, belief me.
And whereas all the package deal maybe doesn’t really feel fairly as participating as an out-and-out efficiency automobile, I spent my complete time with this go-fast NOGAS with a smile on my face, and a good larger one each time my foot discovered the accelerator.
The MG4 usually is a nice-riding, competent-feeling automobile, and arguably the most effective that MG produces, however this XPower provides one other layer of efficiency that I’m but to tire of. And the adjustments don’t dampen the drive expertise, with even the decrease springs seemingly having little impression on compliance.
On the appropriate street, the MG’s decrease centre of gravity and grippy tyres can really feel make the entire course of really feel flowing sufficient, although the acceleration can really feel out-of-kilter with the expertise, making judging velocity a bit extra nerve-wracking that regular.
However for mine, this domestically fettled sizzling hatch does its greatest work on the day-to-day stuff, providing a compliant sufficient journey to make the commute straightforward sufficient, however with a startling flip of velocity simply ready to be unleashed at each purple gentle.
However please, MG, I urge you – set up an engine begin button within the cabin. The fortunate dip of repeatedly standing on the brake earlier than you’ll be able to lastly choose drive may be very near being a deal breaker.
Verdict
Not fairly a real efficiency hero, however nonetheless the most effective instance of MG’s greatest automotive. And when does a bit further energy go unappreciated?
Rating: 3.5/5
SPECS
2024 MG MG4 XPower specs
Worth: $59,990 (drive-away) + further for equipment
Fundamentals: EV , 5 seats, 5 doorways, small passenger automotive
Vary: 400km (WLTP)
Battery capability: 64kWh lithium-ion (62.1kWh usable)
Battery guarantee: 7 years/160,000km
Power consumption: 15.2kWh/100km
Motors: twin everlasting magnet synchronous, 300kW/600Nm (mixed).
AC charging: 6.6kW, Kind 2 plug
DC charging: 140kW, CCS combo plug
0-100km/h: 3.8 seconds